The History of the Club

A smoke filled room in the Monson Arms on the High Street was the start of the story. What was the catalyst for the forming of a football club called Lincoln City?

It really started around 1870 when football was introduced into the curriculum of local schools and teams played each other in competitive matches. As the popularity of the sport increased the Lincolnshire County Cup was introduced in 1881 and teams from around the County competed for the honour of being crowned the champions of Lincolnshire.

For the first three years it wasn't a team from the County city that won it but a team from the Wolds. Although Lincoln had two amateur teams competing in the competition they couldn't win and it was a team from Spilsby who were victorious and things had to change.

In 1883 rumours abounded in the City about the possible merging of the two Lincoln clubs to ensure that the County Championship came to the City. Lincoln Lindum and Lincoln Rovers however had a different view on the future of football in the City and it was the more ambitious characters at Lincoln Rovers who wanted to move football forward.

Three local businessmen - William Mortimer, Sharpley Bainbridge and John Strawson were football fanatics and had a vision of creating a team capable of winning the Trophy for Lincoln and so it was on a warm, humid, muggy night in 1884 that the trio met in the Monson Arms and discussed the future.

A financial backer was now required and another local businessman was approached. Local Brewer Robert Dawber was one of the wealthiest men in the County and had previously played for Rovers. He took little persuasion to continue his passion for the sport and he agreed to back the new club and provided land beside one of his breweries at St John O'Gaunts just off the High Street.

With everything now in place Lincoln City Football Club were created and took to the field for the first time on 4th October 1884 in a match against Sleaford Town which they lost 9-1.

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